Trouble in politics

November 13, 2012

Why did about 80 plus millions of eligible voters not vote in our last presidential election? Why when about 50 plus million of them were registered to vote did they give up this privilege? Have we as a society lost sight of this responsibility that so many have given their lives in order for us to be a part of choosing our governmental leadership?

Some may have never grown up in a family that was politically engaged? Some maybe are uneducated in the whole process and therefore are ignorant of the issues and candidates? Some maybe are so discouraged with the condition of affairs and all the negativity that they have just opted to sit on the sidelines and leave it to others? Some are disappointed in the choices of candidates to vote for so vote for no one.

It seems the more you watch the advertisings, the media spins, and the debates the more discouraged we can become. Is our system so broken that it is unfixable? What needs to be done and who will stand up to do what is right to put our Senate and Congress back on track too really work together to solve America's looming disastrous issues? When will they stop playing politics to try to win elections and start governing as they were elected to do?

Steve Kroft conducted a very tense interview last week on 60 Minutes on CBS. He brought together the two leaders of the U.S. Senate, Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Mitch McConnell, for their first joint interview.

"It was very chilly," Kroft said. "They did not look at each other once during the course of the interview. They kept saying 'my good friend, Harry' or 'my good friend, Mitch,' but it didn't seem very genuine."

The Senate has become a dysfunctional place, filled with politicians on the extreme left and right who can't or won't reach a compromise for the public good, Kroft says. "It's clearly not a fun place, and there are a lot of people that are very unhappy, particularly the new group of congressmen. A number of people have told us that they've come in and said, 'What am I doing here?'"

Where are the credible candidates worthy of our trust and votes? Surely out of 300 million Americans we can find 536 who have integrity, moral values, and the courage to stand up even if need be to their own party and do what is right for the country. It seems we have politicians who seek office as a career choice or for the potential career choices after their term of office. Where are those willing to sacrificially serve for the good of the nation like those who gave their all to sign the Declaration of Independence? Where are those who will serve the nation out of a sense of duty and honor and not for power entitlements while bowing to a party line so far afield no compromises are possible?

We now have a federal government that micromanages the affairs of businesses as well as our individual lives. Instead of a government intent on protecting, strengthening, and unifying the nation we are experiencing insecure borders, a weakening of military, unsafe feelings in our homes, and a dividing along economic, racial, political, moral, and spiritual lines. Our national reputation lacks credibility, our economy has no stability and continues to collapse, our morals are eroding, and our morale is being crippled. Why do we need to continually consider amendments to our state constitutions trying to protect ourselves against out of control politicians and over reaching judges? Why do we continue to pass laws that allow men to do as they please and further distance ourselves from the favor of God?

We declare what was once immoral and illegal to now be totally legal and acceptable. We are forced to teach these behaviors to our children as normal. We are silenced to speak our voice and forced to be embrace these behaviors or face the wrath of big government who will sensor, ostracize, fine, or imprison us should we express our differing opinion. In some instances simply reading certain portions of our Bible could now be considered hate speech by our government and judges and we can be prosecuted.

Just because many don't consider what is happening in society to be labeled as sin, does not make it so. Just because many say there is no God or He is not watching or concerned about our behavior does not make it true. We will always reap what we are sowing and there will be a harvest in due season. I believe the time of reaping is at hand. It is a time when the tares and the wheat are gathered in and they will be rightly separated and dealt with accordingly by the Lord.

No matter who is elected into offices it will not change who is the King of King and Lord of Lords. It is my opinion that we should be more concerned about living our lives to be pleasing to the Lord rather than living for our own pleasures. My prayer is that we might live in this world but not be molded by it. I pray that we can live as sojourners and ambassadors in this temporal world with our focus on eternity. I pray we can live in responsible ways as citizens of another kingdom that is here and is yet to come. That we represent God by being His ambassadors representing him well and making Jesus famous in this temporary world until such a time of the new heaven and new earth comes into being when this earth is destroyed by fire rather than a flood like the first time around.

I conclude with God's thoughts or opinion on the status of man in the world today.

Psalm 2:4-11 (NLT)

4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. 6 For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain." 7 The king proclaims the LORD's decree: "The LORD said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father. 8 Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. 9 You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'" 10 Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! 11 Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.